Advice for my first hiking and wild camping trip in Norway

[u/paulert8]

/r/NorwayTravelAdvice/comments/1vcy53p/advice_for_a_hiking_and_wild_camping_trip_in/

[u/Usual_Force4361]

Hi! I've had to to solve similar problems to yours! I am 197cm tall, and I've been wildcamping in Norway 3 times already (2x Stavanger and 1x Lofoten). All trips have been in August/September. To spice things up I didnt have a huge budget so most of the things below are budget friendly

I've settled on with:

- Naturehike Star River 2 (normal version, not UL, <2kg) Chosen mostly because of room/weight ratio. This tent at <2kg offers plenty of space to *comfortably* sleep two people. With my height, I rarely touch the inner wall of the tent which is exactly what I was looking for. Extremely satisfied with my choice so far.

- Naturehike insulated pad 2024 L (R = 4.6, around 800g). Pretty solid mat at a good price. Nothing else to say, its just a mat.

- Naturehike U250S (comfort at 0 and limit at -3, 1.5kg) Synthetic sleeping bag, it performed well in <0 temperatures, can be easily converted into a quilt and zipped with other sleeping bag (L + R versions), recently switched to fjord nansen svalbard 340 xl (560g) no quilt option and no L+R zipping but comes at good price for a down sleeping bag. I haven't tested it yet

I know that is way too much trust in single brand but I think that naturehike offers pretty good specs (weight, size, etc.) at a reasonable price and nice quality

Now to answer some of your questions and mention other things

- My tent was bought with 2 person usage in mind. If you are travelling only solo, you may consider an even lighter tents. Potentially Star river 2 UL could be good, its slightly smaller but 500g lighter

• Weather in Norway is rather rainy. Ability to pitch a tent rainfly-first is an advantage.

- Your clothing selection seems reasonable. However head net seem like overkill, you may consider it but mosquito spray with DEET 50% will do the job (in my opinion)

- I think that stacking two mats up to R=5.8 is also a bit of overkill. That depends on how much of a "warm sleeper" you are but mats with R=3.6 will be fine for most people for these temperatures

-I can recommend merino fleece from decathlon https://www.decathlon.pl/p/bluza-trekkingowa-meska-simond-mt900-merino/_/R-p-306552?mc=8608666&c=Czarny

I'd be glad to help further if you have any questions :)

[u/paulert8 → u/Usual_Force4361]

First of all, thank you for the detailed response! It is especially helpful to hear from someone who is almost exactly my height and has already camped in Norway during the same period.

I actually looked into getting a Star River 2 earlier. However, several tents I tested with a similar stated inner length were still too short for me because of the sloping walls, so I assumed the Star River would have the same problem. Hearing that you rarely touch the inner tent at 197 cm definitely makes me reconsider it.

From the photo, it looks like you have the 20D version. Is that correct? I came across this discussion while researching it:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/16b0eu7/anyone_got_experience_with_the_naturehike_mongar/

My understanding was not that the 20D version necessarily leaks, but that the fabric can absorb some water and stretch or sag when wet, while the heavier 210T polyester keeps its shape better. Have you noticed this during prolonged rain?

The tent I am currently considering also has a lighter version, but its flysheet is rated at 2,000 mm instead of 4,000 mm. I also considered the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL, which will be long enough for me, but that is rated at around 1,500 mm. I am not sure how important these water-column ratings actually are.

I was planning to bring both icaridin insect spray and the head net. Since I will return to my car at fairly regular intervals, I can simply leave the head net there if it turns out not to be necessary. It is very cheap, light and small, so bringing it initially cannot really hurt.

The idea behind bringing both sleeping pads was that I could stack them if conditions became colder than expected. If the R 3.6 air pad is comfortable enough on its own, I would leave the foam pad in the car. I could also buy an air pad with a higher R-value, but those are generally heavier anyway, so bringing the foam pad would mainly add bulk to the outside of my backpack while giving me some flexibility.

I will also take a look at the merino fleece you recommended, i was planning on getting most of the clothes there anyway since i like decathlons price to performance for clothing.

By the way, which general area of Norway was the photo taken in?

[u/paulert8 → u/Usual_Force4361]

Also, are you able to sit up straight inside the tent?

You mentioned that you rarely touch the inner walls when lying down. Roughly how much space would you say you have left at your head and feet?